The present invention relates to an electrical connector having rows of lead connected terminals in a housing, and more particularly to means for verifying seating of the terminals.
A known connector comprises an insulative housing having a or conductor receiving face and an opposed mating face with two rows of terminal receiving cavities extending between the faces, each cavity receiving a terminal from the conductor receiving face. Two adjacent rows of resilient latch arms in the housing flank respective cavities and cooperate with respective terminals to retain same when fully inserted. Each arm has a distal end toward the mating face and is separated from the adjacent arm by an interstice in the housing, each arm deflecting into the interstice during insertion of a terminal and returning toward the respective cavity when the terminal is fully inserted.
The known connector is intended for mating with an array of spade contacts which are received by the terminals in the housing through the mating face. While the latch arms provide for retention of the terminals to resist backing out during mating with the spade contacts, the retention is not positive insofar as there is nothing in the interstices to prevent deflection of the latch arms therein. Further, there is no means for assuring that all terminals are fully seated in the housing. Incorporation of positive retention and seating verification means in the housing would be desirable to assure good electrical connection between the entire array of spade contacts and all leads terminated by the connector.